128-Year-Old Man Denied Health Insurance Because He's Too Old (VIDEO)

share this story

A Kenyan man thought to be 128 years old is too old to qualify for health insurance (h/t MSN).

Kenya's National Hospital Insurance Fund has rejected the application of Julius Wanyondu Gatonga because the fund's computer system only accepts birth years dating back to 1890, reports Kenya's Daily Nation. The unconfirmed birth year listed on his national ID card is 1884.

The computer has spit out his name several times since March, according to the paper. His family is urging officials to reconsider, and says it is embarrassed by the implication that Wanyondu should be dead.

If Wanyondu were an American during this party-convention season, his case would likely be used as fodder by both sides in the healthcare war. But no matter how old, at least he wouldn't be rejected for any pre-existing condition by 2014.

Incidentally, the official oldest living person, Besse Cooper, of Monroe, Ga., celebrated her 116th birthday on Aug. 26, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Whether or not he is 128, the clearly on-in-years Kenyan, who can still walk and do certain chores, has a dilemma. He explained to Kenyan station NTV (video above) that he cannot afford to pay for medical care, and must rely for now on his 89-year-old wife's insurance. The family told the Nation he needs unspecified medication.